"Argh! Did they have to throw me out face-first? There's no way they couldn't just gently escort me out," Kyoujiro said, pushing himself up from the harsh cobblestone.
Moments ago, he was celebrated as the hero – now, just a random guy eating pavement for lunch.
"Stupid king. Stupid princess. Stupid Adam" deep breath "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY! YOU BASTARDS!!!" He yelled back at the castle gates, capturing the disapproving stares from local townfolk. He bowed instinctively, muttering an apology – not because he was sorry, but because his Japanese DNA wouldn't let him leave without one.
Clearly still annoyed by being fired from his promised adventure, which he never asked for, Kyoujiro began walking through the capital city of Rosalia. The streets were covered in polished cobblestone that was flickering in the afternoon sun, still glistening after yesterday's rain.
As he took a deep breath, he could have sworn this was the first time he had inhaled in his life. Compared to the polluted air of Tokyo he had to endure just an hour ago, the amount of pure oxygen in each breath felt almost overwhelming, as it mixed with the comforting scent of freshly baked bread and natural flavour of grass.
The otherworldly visitor walked through the little alleys of Rosalia, nonchalantly kicking a rock as he went.
He tried his best, but nothing could make him feel any better. Not the Germanic architecture surrounding him, not the beautiful elven women at the flower shop nearby, or a handsome dwarf. Nothing could cheer him up from reality.
One – stuck in another world.
Two – doesn't know where.
Three – very much alone.
Four – no home.
Five – no way back.
Conclusion? He's so far down the food chain of this fantasy world that he's basically fighting for last place with a random forest fern. And all he has to his name is an overpowered sword he can't sell because it would make the shopkeeper perish from just touching it, and a few coins. Five gold coins to be exact.
"This is the worst" Kyoujiro said under his breath, "Should I jump off a bridge? Are there even any bridges here? Should I build a bridge to jump off of? Do I need a permit to build a bridge? Do these individuals even understand the fundamentals of construction law? ARGH! CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS!"
Kyoujiro kicked the rock in frustration.
*BANG*
Behold, a hole in a wall. The impact from the hero's kick was significant enough to create a new entrance for one of the houses.
(Damn, that hero power is no joke. I hope it won't give me issues in the future)
It will.
(What?)
.
.
.
Kyoujiro left the scene whistling softly, as this was the best proven way to avoid suspicion and blend in with the crowd.
"So I can't really leave this place, I don't really know where I am, I need a place to sleep…. and I'm completely alone"
For a moment, an image of Princess Anastasia flickered into his mind. Her gentle smile, her shy eyes, everything that made her the most beautiful woman he had ever met, was suddenly being clouded by the evident betrayal. The way she looked away, the moment he wasn't needed as a hero anymore.
"I just wish there was a way to find a companion that wouldn't betray me"
At that very moment, Kyoujiro, in his usual special unawareness, walked headfirst into a big wooden sign with "SLAVES FOR SALE" written all on it.
Kyoujiro looked down the imagined barrel of the camera and chuckled, "Well, isn't that convenient?" and walked up.
The slave market was very different from the lively and colourful streets of Rosalia. Cobble here seemed to be covered in grime and materialised sadness. Sunlight doesn't shine as brightly in that side alley as cages full of fantastical creatures, and people towered over the potential buyers.
"Come here, boy! We have a perfect breeding orc for you – just two gold. Two gold and you can have it," one of the slavers incited Kyoujiro in front of a metal cage with a half-naked orc inside it.
This young Japanese man has never seen anything like it. The suffering is overwhelming. It's pressing on your heart like a tight grip. No matter how you look at it, this situation is-
"p- please help"
Half-whisper travelled through the wind. A soft plea entered Kyoujiro's ears, making it impossible to ignore.
Kyoujiro's head snapped towards the soft voice, and what he saw almost broke his heart in two. A young girl, basically starved, with only a potato bag covering her bony silhouette. Out of her greasy dark blue hair, dog ears poked up, flattened against her head. Another clue that she was not entirely human was the tail wrapped protectively around her leg.
Her ankle was attached to a steel chain that had been glowing with a red, ominous colour. Kyoujiro's legs moved on their own towards the cage.
The young girl stepped back away from the metal bars, afraid, almost as if she had been conditioned to expect pain at any given moment.
Kyoujiro crouched down and smiled kindly, his voice softened.
"It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Hanaza- No. Sorry. I'm Jiro. Just... Jiro. What's your name?"
The little girl looked up and answered with a trembling voice.
"M- Mira. M-my name is Mira"
"Mira, huh? That's a pretty name you have. I bet your parents gave you such a pretty name because they knew their daughter would grow up to be such a nice person"
"Y- you really think so?"
"Of course I do", Jiro smiles with hopeful eyes
"C-can you help m-me? P-please. I'm s-scared"
Jiro took a deep breath, considering his options. He could never leave someone so vulnerable, but before he could answer, a slave trader chimes in.
"Oh, I see you have your eye on this little wolf kid, huh? Normally, I would demand at least seven gold for a slave like that, but you're in luck. Just today, I will sell her for five gold pieces"
"Five gold?" Jiro asked, more to himself than to anyone else, "That's….. that would be all the money I have"
He looked back at Mira, and as his gaze met her big, round puppy eyes, begging for help and longing for any comfort, Jiro knew precisely what he had to do.
Jiro's hand reaches inside the cage to gently pet her head. His lips curve into a kind and gentle smile that could cure a cold.
"Don't worry, Mira. You deserve to be free"
Jiro stood up and looked back at the trader. He extended his hand towards him with conviction and absolute self-assurance in what he should do next. No regrets. He shaked his hand.
"Anyway, see you around. Bye-bye, Mira" Jiro waved goodbye and started walking away.
Mira is stunned. Even the slave trader is so shocked that his type slid off his shiny bald head.
"Wait! Jiro! You're not going to buy me?" Mira whimpered, staring at Jay with her sad puppy eyes.
Jiro turned around towards his newly met friend and confidently said:
"No chance. If I bought you, I wouldn't have money to eat or sleep. Ain't no way I'm buying a puppy when I don't even have a bed. Good luck, though. I'm sure they'll abolish slavery sooner or later. Bye-bye," and he just walked away.
Mira and the slave trader watched Jiro disappear around the corner with their eyes wide open and jaws all the way to the floor.
Back on the main street, Jiro started kicking a rock again, as he strolled along, thinking to himself: "No shot I'm going broke for some isekai cliché. Damn NPCs. What kind of trade is that. Miss me with that bullshit"